FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Santa Fe Green Lodging Initiative receives the Sustainable
Santa Fe Award for Green Economic Development
Santa Fe, New Mexico - April 27, 2013 - Felicity Broennan of the
Santa Fe Watershed Association, spear heading the public-private sector
collaboration called the Santa Fe Green
Lodging Initiative, received today the 2013 Sustainable Santa Fe Award for
Green Economic Development at the Eldorado Hotel, located at
309 W. San Francisco Street in Santa Fe. The 2013 Sustainable Santa Fe Awards
are sponsored by the City’s Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, Earth Care NM,
Green Fire Times, and the Green Chamber of Commerce.
Santa Fe hosts more than one
million tourists every year. While tourism is an important part of the Santa Fe
economy, tourism puts considerable pressure on the environmental resources of
the city. In 2012, The Santa Fe Watershed Association (SFWA) was awarded an 18
month grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to partner with
the City, lodging associations and providers to develop Santa Fe’s Green Lodging Initiative. The initiative
was undertaken to generate economic development and to work with lodging providers
to help conserve water and reduce chemical pollutants entering the Santa Fe
watershed.
SFWA contracted HospitalityGreen
LLC, founder of the nationally-recognized Green
Concierge Certification® program, to provide Santa Fe lodging providers
training, coaching, and individualized technical assistance that leads to
third-party green certification.
HospitalityGreen LLC’s work in
the Catskills resulted in measured environmental
and financial outcomes. Participating businesses diverted at least 2,640 tons
of waste and increased occupancy in 2011 by 20 – 25%. Certifying over 20 properties helped
legitimately brand the Catskills as a green destination resulting in increased
tourism and local jobs. Similar results
are expected from the Santa Fe Green Lodging
Initiative.
The Santa Fe Green Lodging
Initiative was launched in November 2012 and fourteen Santa Fe
properties representing B&Bs,
hotels, inns, motels, and resorts qualified for participation including: La Fonda on the Plaza, La Posada de Santa Fe
Resort and Spa, Old Santa Fe Inn, Inn on the Alameda, Silver Saddle Motel,
Eldorado Hotel and Spa, Santa Fe Sage Inn, Hotel Santa Fe, Inn of the
Governors, Ten Thousand Waves, Inn at Santa Fe, Inn of the Five Graces, Fort
Marcy Suites, and Casa Cuma Bed and Breakfast.
By adopting
streamlined sustainable practices, these lodging providers will save money, upgrade their facility to meet growing market
expectations, and increase their competitive advantage in an expanding green
hospitality marketplace.
Evadne Giannini, Founder
and CEO of HospitalityGreen LLC, said “We are honored to be working with this
exciting public-private partnership and to be awarded the 2013 Sustainable Santa Fe
Award for Green Economic Development.
The Santa Fe
Watershed Association (SFWA) www.santafewatershed.org builds
vibrant, resilient ecosystems within the Santa Fe River Watershed using a
holistic approach of restoration, education, stewardship, and advocacy.
Santa Fe Green
Lodging Initiative’s growing directory of local partners includes: Santa Fe Watershed Association, Santa Fe Convention and Visitors
Bureau, City of Santa Fe Environmental Services Division, New Mexico Lodging
Association, Santa Fe Lodgers Association, Santa Fe Community College, New
Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce, Santa Fe Chapter, Inn of the Governors, La
Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa, and the Inn and Spa at Loretto.
HospitalityGreen LLC, www.hospitalitygreen.com is a New York based consulting firm specializing in
environmental and operations consulting services. HospitalityGreen partners
with service-based and product-based clients throughout the hospitality,
manufacturing and institutional healthcare industries, to implement sustainable
business practices. We provide services
for our client not to them. Our goal is to create for our client’s
environmental capital one facility at a time.
For more information on
HospitalityGreen and the Green Concierge Certification™, visit
www.hospitalitygreen.com or call (845)
436-6173.
CONTACT
Adrianne Picciano, Project Coordinator
HospitalityGreen
Tel: (845) 436-6173
